Tiny Elephant's Contest Corner
The Latest Contest News -
A NARC Bulletin Exclusive
A monthly column by Ed Deichler, K2TE
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Beware the Digion! (Part Deaux)
Well, here it is the middle of summer but it’s
too early to write about NARC Field Day for
1999 because this goes to press before Field
Day happens. (Ed Note: Maybe…) While I
was pondering what to write about for this
month, I browsed back through some of my
earlier columns and conveniently found one
about a strange creature that came to inhabit
my computer that I dubbed the “Digion”. It
is definitely some kind of digital dragon that
rears up and slays innocent computers in
spite of the valiant efforts of the owners.
In case you missed the May issue of the
NARC Bulletin, let me recap. About 8-9
months ago during the height of contest
season, I experienced a series of baffling
crashes that simply shut my computer off
after 1-3 hours of operation. I was using an
old 386 machine just for contest logging so I
thought it would be simple to fix. Theories
about stressed power cords, tired power
supplies, and dirty electricity as the possible
source of the problem turned out to have as
much credibility as Congressional speeches.
I had gotten to the point of replacing my
computer with a newer 386 that had less
time on it and I thought I had solved the
problem only to find the insidious beast was
slowly taking control of my computer like a
fungus. One strange quirk throughout my
ordeal was the fact that I was able to
exorcise the demon temporarily by jiggling
the power cord at the back of the computer
every time the life was snuffed from it. I
furiously stroked my beard like Aladdin’s
lamp hoping to bring forth the magical
solution to my plight. Suddenly, I
brightened; the problem, I surmised, was
inside! The computer has a loose connection
or a board is not seated properly, causing the
CPU to drop the ball now and then.
In a flash, I had the cover off the computer
and a flashlight scanning its innards. I poked
and jabbed at the boards. Everything seemed
to fit nice and snug. The connections that I
checked definitely looked good judging by
the unbroken dust across the joints. Anyway,
I gave each one a push just for insurance and
slid the cover back on.
I fired up the computer again and sat back to
wait. It didn’t take long before it gave out a
sickening groan and went silent. I sat there
staring motionlessly at it as if to beg the
Digion to attack me and spare the computer.
I figured this would be a valiant act and my
wife would not notice any unusual change in
my behavior. Oh well, I sighed wearily,
guess I’ll have to break down and buy a 486
and hope the Digion has not mutated to a
higher clock speed.
While sat there dejectedly, my XYL came in
and asked if she could use the other
computer for some work she needed to do. I
told her that it might only work for an hour
or two and then crash without warning. She
didn’t seemed too worried about it since she
figured she could save every few minutes.
I set up the old machine on her desk and got
it going. She sat down and typed happily
away. I didn’t think much more of it until I
passed her office hours later and noticed the
computer was still running. I estimated that
it had been going for about 4 hours. Why
not, I thought. The Digion has settled into
the other machine. I shook my head at the
absurdity of my deduction and started
downstairs. As I was preparing to go about
the day’s choirs, a thought suddenly flashed
through my brain: what is DIFFERENT
between the two computers? I retraced the
actions I had gone through when I changed
over between the two machines. “That’s it!”
I yelled. I dashed upstairs, yanked the cover
off the 386, and feverishly pulled at my P-38
RTTY to get it out.
I turned on the computer and let it run. And
run. And run. I jumped up and did the
contester’s victory dance (whatever that is).
The Digion was vanquished at last! When I
calmed down, I then pondered what could be
wrong with the P-38 board. I went up on the
Internet and found the site for HAL
Communications. I sent off an email to the
technical support and got a prompt response
explaining what to do. A little surgery to
remove an errant capacitor and the board
was cured.
Now my recovered computer and I are one
with contesting again. I’m looking forward
to trying a RTTY contest such as one of the
ones below:
Original QRP Contest, 3-4 July
Here is a unique contest that QRP old-timers
will enjoy. The only rigs permitted are
original QRP rigs, commercial or homebrew,
limited to a maximum of 20 watts output.
This includes rigs such as the Yaesu FT-7,
and FT-707S, Kenwood TS-130V, and the
Tentec Argonaut. This is a CW contest that
is 24 hours long beginning at 1500Z on the
3rd with a rest period of 9 hours minimum.
(It is, after all, summertime.) Operation is on
80 through 20 meters; contest participants
will call CQ OQRP. Categories are very low
power (VLP) with a maximum of 1W out;
QRP at a maximum of 5W out; and medium
power (MP) limited to 20W out. Contest
exchange is report and a serial
number/category, e.g., 599013/VLP.
Scoring is unusual for this one. If both
stations submit logs, each QSO counts as 4
points for each station and 2 points for each
station if they are each DXCC countries. If
one station does not submit a log, then the
station submitting a log gets only 1 point for
the QSO and 1 point for the DXCC country.
Bottom line: send in your log for a
meaningful score. Contest logs go to DJ7ST.
QRP ARCI Homebrew Sprint, 11 July
Here is short fun one that is only 4 hours
long starting at 2000Z Saturday evening.
Limited strictly to homebrew equipment,
this contest has several band options
depending on the sophistication of the QRP
rig: single band, all band, low band (160 up
to 40 meters) and high band (20 up to 6
meters). Exchange is RST, state, and ARCI
member number or power output if a non-
member. QSOs with ARCI members are
worth 5 points, 2 points for non-members,
and 4 points for DXCC-other continent
contacts. Using a homebrew TX, RX, or
TX/RX will net a bonus of 2000, 3000, and
5000 points, respectively, to your score.
Final score is total QSO points plus states
plus countries times output multiplier of 1
(> 5W), 7 (< 5W), 10 (< 1W), and 15
(< 250mW) PLUS bonus points - whew!
Logs to ARCI manager N6GA by 9 August.
AGCW DL QRP Contest, 17-18 July
Here is another German QRP contest that is
similar to the earlier one. The contest period
is also 24 hours beginning at 1500Z on
Saturday and requires a 9-hour minimum
rest time! This contest expands to cover 80
through 10 meters. Operating categories are
VLP (less than or equal to 1W), QRP (5W
maximum), MP (25W maximum), and QRO
(over 25W). Contacts among any station not
in the QRO class count as 2 points while
working QRO stations count as 1 point.
Each DXCC country counts as 1 point. The
exchange is RST, serial number/category
(surprise). This sounds like a good contest to
try out your QRO rig cranked down to its
minimum output so you can experience a
QRP Field Day operation. Logs go to
DL4DRA by 31 August.
NA RTTY QSO Party, 17-18 July
The RTTY edition of the popular North
American QSO parties starts at 1800Z on
Saturday and runs to 0600Z Sunday
morning. North American stations try to
work anybody and everybody on 80 through
10 meters. There are two categories: single
operator, unassisted and multi-operator/two
transmitters only. Both categories are limited
to 150 watts output. The single operator
stations are limited to 10 hours of operation.
Each contact counts as 1 point. Contest
multipliers are the 50 states, all Canadian
provinces, and the Central American
countries. The exchange is operator name
and QTH. Final score is the total valid
contacts times number of multipliers. Logs
go to K5DJ by 18 August.
Russian RTTY WW Contest, 24-25 July
Mid-Summer is the perfect time for a big
contest (just to keep in shape) with the
Russian Central Radio Club sponsoring a
48-hour RTTY contest. Single operator
classes are limited to 36 hours of operation
while multi-operator stations can operate the
full 48. Operation takes place on 80 through
10 meters. Exchange is simply RST and CQ
zone number. Each DXCC country and
Russian oblast (state) worked count as
multipliers. QSOs on the same continent are
worth 5 points while other-continent
contacts count 10 points. The final score is
QSO points times total multipliers worked.
Logs go to UA4LCQ by September 1.
So, if you feel a little hoarse from Field Day,
or you feel brave enough for CW, try one of
these QRP contests for a change of pace.
Also check out the RTTY contests to see
what it could be like for Field Day someday.
73 till next month, de K2TE
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